Method and device for removing draft gear



Oct. 18, 1960 B. E. PETERSON 2,956,336

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR REMOVING DRAFT GEAR Filed Sept. 17, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

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INVENToA erZJEPeZerzgm BY M www/f jfl/M Oct. 18, 1960 B. E. PETERSON METHOD AND DEVICE FDR REMDVING DRAFT GEAR Filed Sept. 17, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 QMY INVENTOR. e/' ."Peefofa BY United States Patent iitiee Y 2,956,336 Y Patented Oct. 18, 1960 METHOD AND DEVCE FOR REMOVING DRAFT GEAR Bertil E. Peterson, Chicago, lll., assignor to Cardwell Westinghouse Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. l17, 1956, Ser. No. 610,200

'6 Claims. (Cl. 29-261) My invention relates yto a method and device for removing draft gear, and more particularly, to a method and device ythat may be employed to remove a draft gear and yoke as a unit from the draft gear pocket of railroad cars and the like.

Heretofore removal of draft gear from the draft gear pocket of railroad cars has been a diicult and tedious operation due to the fact that the draft gear must be compressed before it can be removed from between the draft gear lugs or stops it cooperates with. Not only must enormous pressure be applied to the draft gear to compress same, but working space limitations are at a minimum.

While several forms of jack devices have been devised for compressing draft gear preparatory for removal of same, they require that the draft gear be specially formed to receive spacer rods, bolts, or the like to maintain the draft gear compressed after the device has been removed. This has been necessary because these jack devices of prior practices were positioned outside of the car centersills, and included either element engaging portions extending inwardly toward the draft gear and other structure normally mounted between the centersills, or engaged between draft elements positioned outwardly of the centersills, such as the coupler and striking plate. To permit removal of the draft gear, the jack devices of prior practices had to be released and withdrawn from between the centersills, or removed from the draft structure disposed outwardly thereof, since the car frame member that normally supports the coupler carrier would interfere with one or more of the members being removed, if the draft gear were lowered with the jack holding same in compressed relation.

The principal object of the invention is to provide several forms of jack devices for aiding in removing draft gear that may be applied on all types of draft Vgear rather than to just special types of draft gear.

Another primary object of the invention is to provide a new form of jack device that effectively compresses the draft gear and yet permits the draft gear to be removed without having to release the jack.

A further object of Ithe invention is to provide a new form of draft gear removal jack device that may be inserted as a whole between the arms of the yoke and applied between the front follower and the draft key openings in the yoke, and which may be operated to compress the draft gear between the inner and outer ends of the yoke and permit removal of the draft gear, yoke and jack as a unit.

Still another object of the invention is to provide several simple but effective methods of removing a draft gear from a draft gear pocket.

Yet another object of the invention is to improve over conventional draft gear removal devices by providing a simplified uid operated jack that greatly facilitates the application of pressure to the draft gear even though it would ordinarily be removed before the gear is dropped.

In accordance with the principles of the invention, I

provide jack devices of both the screw and uid operated type. The screw operated type may comprise a screw element provided with a rotatably mounted pressure block, head or plate on one end thereof and a hex end on the other end thereof. A nut is screwthreadedly mounted on said screw element, said nut having a pair of diametrically opposed arms pivoted thereto at like ends of the arms. The other ends of the arms are biased away from the nut by biasing means. 'Ihe device is inserted between the arms of the yoke after the draft key and coupler have been removed, with the said pressure head or plate being placed in contact with the front follower and the said other ends of the arms being placed in engagement with the outer ends of the draft key slots. An extension element then may be applied to the hex end of the screw element and upon application of a suitable wrench or other type of leverage applying device to the outwardly extending end of the extension device, the screw element is turned to apply opposing forces to the front follower and the yoke, respectively, to compress the draft gear. Assuming that the draft gear carrier iron has rst been removed from beneath the draft gear pocket, the draft gear, the yoke, and the jack device may then be removed by lowering same as a unit from the draft gear pocket.

The fluid operated type may comprise a uid powered jack mounted in a casing that includes draft key slot engaging arms. After the device is positioned between the arms of the yoke, the jack is actuated to force its ram head against the front follower to compress the draft gear, after which a wedge or block is placed between the yoke and the front follower. The jack may then be released and removed after which the draft gear and yoke are lowered from the car as a unit. The duid for powering this device may be supplied through a conduit from any desired source, such as a hand or machine operated pump.

Other objects, uses and advantages will be obvious or become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a horizontal section through familiar parts of a freight car, with the coupler and draft key removed, illustrating the screw actuated form of my invention applied between the front follower and the outer end of the yoke;

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the elements shown in Figure 1, with parts shown in elevation;

Figure 3 is a view similar to that of Figure l, but on a larger scale and more particularly illustrating my jack device with the extension element and a suitable wrench applied thereto;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the elements shown in Figure 3, with parts broken away;

Figure 5 is a view similar to that of Figure 1, but illustrating a fluid powered form of the invention, parts being broken away for clarity of illustration;

Figure 6 is a `side elevational view of the elements shown in Figure 5, parts being shown in section; and

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic side elevational view on a smaller scale of the device and a power supplying mechanism therefor.

Referring now more particularly to Figures l and 2, I yhave diagrammatically illustrated center sills 10 of a conventional railroad freight car frame which provide a standard draft gear pocket 12 under which is mounted a carrier iron 14 riveted to the center sills at 16 to support the conventional draft gear or cushioning mechanism 18 in the draft gear pocket. The draft gear 18 and front follower 20 are shown surrounded by the vertical yoke 22 that is conventionally connected, by a draft key (not shown) positioned in slots 24 formed lin the yoke, to the shank of a coupler indicated in broken lines at 30. Also shown -is a striking plate 20, secured to the end of the center sills 10, that is adapted to be contacted by a striking horn (not shown) on the coupler. Inner and outer pairs of stop lugs 32 and 34 are fixed to the center sills 10, and in the illustrated arrangement, the inner end yof the draft gear is in contact with the inner lugs l32 while the front follower 20 is in contact with the outer lugs 34 when the gear is not subjected to either draft or buing forces. Y

Reference numeral 35 generally indicates one form of my invention applied between the front follower 20 and the slots 24 formed in the yoke 22. As shown more particularly in Figure 3, the illustrated device comprises a shaftin the form of a-screw element 36 having rotatably mounted on the ,inner end thereof a pressure block, head, or plate 38 that is positioned in contact with the front follower 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the head or plate 38 is secured to screw element 36 by a bolt 40 screwthreadedly received in a hole 42 formed in the end of said element 36 which is of less effective depth than the distance between the bottom of recess 44 formed in the plate or head 38 (in which the bolt head is received) and the end of the bolt, so that when the bolt is tightened into into place, the head or plate .38 will be rotatably mounted rather than ixedly mounted. In the illustrated embodiment, this is done by forming a screw seat at 46. The endof element 36 may be formed with one or more grease grooves 47 and is received in recess 49 formed in head 38. The other end of the screw element is formed with a hex configuration 48 adapted to be engaged in extension element 50 more completely described hereinafter.

A casing in the form of a nut 52 is received on the screw element 36 which is formed with a pair of diametrically opposed flanges 54 each having a similar slot 56 formed therein. Diametrically opposed arms or columns -8 are pivoted in each slot 56 by pins 60, respectively, said arms 58 being pivoted at their inwardly directed ends. T'ne arms 58 are preferably biased to the outwardly extending position shown in Figures l and 3 by suitable springs or the like, such as spring steel elements 62 secured to the nut 52 as by screws 64. The outwardly directed ends of the arms 58 are formed with angled notches 65 as shown more particularly in Figure 3, which render them adapted to engage the yoke abutments at the outer ends of slots 24.

The device 35 may include extension element 50 which merely comprises a bar 66 suciently long to extend from the outer end of screw element 36 outwardly of the draft gear pocket and formed with hex shaped recess 68 at one end thereof adapted to be received over the hex end of element 36. The other end of bar 66 is formed ,to receive a suitable wrench 70 of a known type, or other gear pocket and urged inwardly until the pressure block,

head or plate 38 contacts the front follower. The arms 58 will be horizontally disposed on being inserted between the arms ofyoke 22 and will be pivoted toward each other approximately as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3 upon engaging the outer end of the yoke. The nut 52 should be screwed toward the pressure head or plate 38 sufficiently so that outwardly extending ends of arms 58 snap into the respective yoke slots 24 before the head or plate 38 contacts the front follower. The clic of the arms 38 snapping into slots 24 advises the operator that the device is in position for operation. The protuberance '.67 and dat surfaces 69 and 71 of the arms and nut respectively, prevent the arms from slipping when the load is applied to them.

The screw element 36 is thereupon turned, as by extension element 50 being applied to the hex end thereof, and wrench 70 applied to the element 50. By turning the screw element so that the nut moves outwardly of the pressure head or plate 38, thefyoke and follower plate are urgedin opposite directions, thus compressing the draft gear. The draft gear, yoke and jack may then be lowered as a unit from the draft gear pocket. It will be noted from Figure 2 that the screw element does not extend over the frame member 75 which ordinarily carries the coupler carrier (not shown). This permits the draft gear, the yoke and the device 35 to be lowered as a unit without removing the device 35 or releasing the draft gear.

It will be appreciated that the device 35 is adapted to be used to compress any conventional draft gear, and that no modification or specialization of the draft gear or any of the elements employed in connection therewith is required.

The device 35, with the exception of springs 62, may be formed of a mild steel or other suitable substance. The threads in element 36 may be of any design capable of developing the thrust.

A fluid operated jack device in accordance with the principles of my invention is generally indicated at in Figures 317. The device 80 comprises a jack 82, which in the illustrated embodiment is a Duff-Norton hydraulic jack, made Iby Duif-Norton 'Mfg Co., of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and may include a shaft or ram 84 including a ram head 86 and a piston end 88 mounted in la casing 90. The casing is preferably provided with an annular ange 92 and a port where indicated at 94 at the center of its outwardly extending end for reception of an appropriate fitting 96 to which is removably attached the threaded end 97 of a conduit 98 that leads, for instance, to the hand operated pump device 100 0f Figure 7, which may be any conventional fluid pressure supplying mechanism.

The casing is mounted within, in the illustrated emwhich kare secured together by bolts 106. The ends of the housing are formed with openings 108 to accommodate the ram and fitting at each end, and the ange 92 is positioned between the wall 110 of the outwardly extending end Vof the housing and the annular ridge 112 formed in the internal surface of the housing. Each side of the housing is slotted as at 114 to receive the arms or columns 116, similar to arms 58, which are pivoted to the housing as by pins 118. The outwardly extending ends of the arms 116 include the notches 65 and protuberances 67, while the inwardly extending or pivoted ends include projections or protuberances 120 that are engaged by washer 122 which is biased toward them by compression spring 124 interposed about the ram 84 between the washer 122 and the wall 126 of the inwardly extending end of the housing. The spring 124 biases the arms 116 outwardly of the housing in the same manner that springs 62 act on arms 58 of the embodiment of Figures 1 4. The arms 116 and the housing are formed with the surfaces 69 and 71 to limit the pivotal movement of the arms 116 under the action of spring 124.

The device80 is positioned in the same manner as device 35. With or without the conduit 98 attached to the housing 102, .the deviceV is inserted into the space ahead of the draft gear pocket and urged inwardly until the ram head 86 contacts the front follower 20. The arms 116 shouldV be Vhorizontally disposed on being inserted between the arms of yoke 22, and vwill be pivoted toward each other upon engaging the outer end of the yoke. The ram is preferably retracted sufficiently so that the device may be moved inwardly to the point where the 'arms will snap into the slots l24. As in the case ofthe device 35, the clic of these arms snapping into place advises the operator that the device is positioned for operation. The protuberances 67 and flat surfaces 69 and 71 of the arms and housing respectively, prevent the `arms from slipping when the load is applied to them.

The handle 130 of the hand pumping device 100 may Ithen be operated in the usual manner to supply uid under pressure to the casing 90 to actuate the ram `84. By so doing, the ram head 86 is forced against the follower 20 to urge the yoke and follower in opposite directions and thus compressing the draft gear 1-8. After the draft` gear is sufficiently compressed, say, to the point Where the'front follower is positioned where indicated in dotted lines in Figure 5, a wedge or other hard object is inserted from below between the yoke and the front follower, for instance, where indicated at 140 in Figure 5. The device 80 is then released and removed, and the draft gear and yoke are lowered as a unit from the car. The wedge or other object that is used to hold the gear compressed may then be removed in any appropriate manner to free the gear from the yoke.

In inserting the device 80 into operating position, it is helpful to place the end of a relatively smooth flat plate 135 in the yoke where indicated at 137 in dotted lines in Figure 6, and slide the device 80 along the plate into its desired position. The pumping device may be placed at any convenient operating position, for instance, alongside track 136 on which the car rests.

As in the case of the device 35, the device 80 is adapted to be used to compress any conventional draft gear without requiring modification or specialization of the gear or any of the elements employed in connection therewith. The device 80 provides the high starting power required to eiiiciently compress many forms of draft gear. The device 80 may be left in place and removed with the yoke and draft gear where the coupler support is removable. Also, I contemplate that a suitable valve or other fluid flow checking device may be interposed in the conduit 98 or tting 96 if so desired so that the device 160 may be disconnected from jack 82 without releasing jack 82 and withdrawing unit 80 before dropping the yoke and draft gear. However, space limitations are such that the device 80 seems to be more useful without such valves or the like.

The invention has been found to be a great labor saver, as those skilled in the art will appreciate. Tests have shown that a substantial amount of time is saved in maintenance and repair work as well as providing a device that will enable workers to do a dicult and arduous job with facility and ease.

This application is a continuation-impart of my copending application Serial No. 528,077, filed August 12, 1955, now Patent No. 2,853,774.

The foregoing description and the drawings are given merely to explain and illustrate my invention, and the manner in which it may be performed, and the invention is not to be limited thereto, except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, since those skilled in the art who have my disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

l. Apparatus for use in preparing a draft rigging for insertion into or removal from a draft pocket, said rigging comprising a cushioning mechanism and a yoke encircling said mechanism and including transversely spaced end arms providing abutments facing toward said mechanism, said apparatus being insertable between said arms and comprising a hollow casing having a pair of external abutments, an endwise movable shaft mounted in said casing to extend therethrough and terminate in an end abutment adapted for engagement with the adjacent end of said cushioning mechanism, a pair of rigid columns each having abutment surfaces at opposite ends t 6 thereof, pivot means engaging said columns adjacent corresponding ends thereof and pivotally mounting said co1- umns externally on said casing for undergoing relative swinging movement between a closed position wherein said columns lie alongside said casing, with the free ends thereof pointing in a direction generally opposite to the direction of said end abutment of said shaft and an open position wherein said columns extend obliquely from said casing with the abutment surfaces at the free ends of said columns adapted for engagement with said yoke abutments yand with the abutment surfaces at the pivoted corresponding ends of said columns having interengagement with the abutments on said casing to transmit compression forces from said columns to said casing abutments Vand thereby relieve said pivot means of excessive compression strains, means reacting between said co1- umns yand said casing for moving said columns from said closed position to said open position, and said casing and said shaft having cooperating interacting means for shifting said casing endwise with respect to said shaft.

2. The apparatus of claim l wherein each column has an end protuberance at the free end thereof :adapted for engagement transversely with the adjacent yoke .arm for locating the columns in engagement with the yoke abutments and wherein said moving means comprises resilient means reacting between said casing :and said columns to normally swingably urge said columns to their open position.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said casing and shaft are in telescoping, screw-threaded engagement and said end abutment is rotatably mounted on said shaft.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said casing forms a hydraulic cylinder and said shaft carries ra piston internally in said cylinder and wherein said shifting means comprises a source of hydraulic fluid under pressure connected to said `cylinder at the end thereof remote from said end abutment.

5. In apparatus for use in preparing a draft rigging for insertion into or removal from a draft pocket, said rigging comprising a cushioning mechanism and a yoke encircling said cushioning mechanism and including transversely spaced, forwardly extending arms formed to provide abutments facing rearwardly toward said cushioning mechanism, the combination with a hydraulic cylinder, an axially movable ram extending rearwardly through the cylinder to terminate in an external rearwardly facing end rabutment for engagement with the adjacent end of said cushioning mechanism, and hydraulic means for shifting said ram Vaxially .through said cylinder; of an open-ended casing for telescoping relation over said cylinder and having an internal -abutment adjacent the front end thereof yand facing rearwardly for endwise engagement with said cylinder, said casing being provided with forwardly facing external abutments intermediately therealong, `a pair of rigid columns each having an endwise facing abutment surface at each of its opposite ends, pivot means engaging said columns adjacent corresponding ends thereof and pivotally mounting said columns externally on said casing for swinging movement between :a relatively closed position wherein the columns lie alongside lthe casing with the free ends thereof extending generally forwardly, and a relatively open position wherein said columns extend obliquely from the casing with the abutment surfaces at the free ends thereof adapted for engagement With said yoke abutments `and with the abutment surfaces at the pivoted ends thereof having interengagement with the external abutments on said casing to transmit compression forces from said columns to said external casing -abutments and thereby relieve said pivot means of excessive compression strains, and means reacting between said columns and said casing for swinging said columns om closed position to open position.

6. In apparatus -for use in preparing a draft rigging for insertion into or removal from a draft pocket, said '7 rigging comprising a cushioning mechanism and fa yoke Vencircling said cushioning mechanism and including transversely spaced, forwardly extending arms Vforred to provide abutments `facing rearwardly `toward said cushioning mechanism, the combination with a hydraulic cylinder, an axially movable ram extending rearwardly through fthe cylinder to terminate in an external rearwardly facing end abutment for engagement with the adjacent end 4of said cushioning mechanism, and hydraulic means for shifting said ram axially through said cylinder; of an open-ended casing `comprising Vmating casing sections secured together Vin telescoping relation over said cylinder, said casing -having an internal abutment :adjacent the front end thereof and facing rearwardly for endwise engagement with said cylinder and an internal Yabutment adjacent -its rea-r end yproviding a forwardly facing spring seat, said casing being provided with forwardly facing external abutments intermediately therealong, a pair of rigid columns each having an endwise facing abutment surface at each of its opposite ends, pivot means engaging said columns adjacent corresponding ends thereof and pivotally mounting said columns on opposite sides of said casing for swinging-movement between a relatively closed position wherein the columns lie alongside the casing with the free ends thereof extending generally forwardly, and a relatively open position wherein said columns extend obliquely from the References Cited in the le of this patent ',UNITED STATES PATENTS Y 1,472,759 Huntington Oct. 30, 1923 1,517,883 Alleman Dec. 2, 1924 1,621,734 McCord Mar. 22, 1927 1,962,289 Waldon June 1 2, 1934 2,003,756 Nagel YJune 4, 1935 2,136,004 Cornwell Nov. 8, v1938 2,257,318 Wilborn Sept. 30, 1941 2,380,980 Looney Aug. 7, 1945 2,691,209 Stearns Oct. 12, 1954 2,698,446 Apostoli Jan. 4, 1955 

